Another Merlin Reveal Fic!
by bookybookworm
Summary: Extremely long one-shot that is a reveal fic. Freylin. Implied Arwen. T because I'm paranoid. Please REVIEW! PS: the story is much better than the summary!


**This is my 2nd reveal!fic! I'm getting a bit obsessed with them...**

**All in Merlin's or Arthur's POV.**

**NO SLASH! MERLIN/FREYA and ARTHUR/GWEN IF YOU SQUINT REALLY HARD!**

**Contains a few OCs of hardly any importance.**

**Disclaimer: IDOM**

Chapter 1

MERLIN POV:

Merlin was standing in the corner of the throne room, where Arthur was sitting. Gwen, Arthur's wife, was sitting on a throne next to him. Many people had come to relieve their problems onto the king. The last person for the day was a man in swirling robes. Merlin gave a start of surprise as he realised that the man was a druid.

"What is your business here?" Arthur said kindly.

"Please sire, my name is Aaron, and I am a druid from a camp nearby," the druid said timidly, glancing at the guards. Arthur motioned for him to carry on, but Merlin could see suspicion on his face. "Th-the lady Morgana came to our camp," the druid stopped as Arthur face paled, then carried on hurriedly. "She was asking who-who Emrys was!"

"And who is Emrys?" Arthur asked confusedly.

"He is the greatest man to walk upon the earth. He is the most powerful man ever. He is the leader of the druids. He is the last dragonlord, the defeater of Nimueh and Cornelius Sigan, and he is Morgana's destiny - and her doom. He is the only one who can kill her," Aaron said reverently. "He is the lover of the Lady of the Lake of Avalon. Some say he is Magic reincarnate. He is the one to ensure the Once and Future King rests upon the throne of Albion. He will bring magic back into the land."

At the end of this speech, Merlin was blushing hotly. Luckily, Arthur didn't see.

"And do you know where he is now?" Arthur gulped, looking afraid. Merlin's mouth hung open. Arthur was afraid of _him_, but more importantly, Aaron knew who he was! _Please don't reveal me!_ Merlin exclaimed inside the druid's head.

_Yes, my lord,_ the druid answered. "I'm sorry sire, but he does not wish you to know," he said to the king.

"That's alright." Arthur swallowed once again, and said, "We will try to find Morgana," Arthur winced. "But do you know where she is?"

"Yes sire!" Aaron said, relieved. "She resides in a small village named Ealdor!"

"WHAT?" Merlin exclaimed. "That's where... Where my mother lives." Merlin gulped, then looked at Arthur imploringly. "Please, Arthur, we have to go!"

"OK, we are going anyway," Arthur reassured Merlin, but not unkindly. "Thank you for your help. And you say this... Emrys is Morgana's doom?"

"Oh, yes, Sire!" Aaron's eyes brightened. "He is, as I told you, the most powerful warlock!"

"Warlock?" Arthur said, a frown on his face.

"A person born with magic." Aaron risked a glance at Merlin.

"Thank you for the help, and I assure you, we will find Morgana!" Arthur said, but still looking a bit lost. "You are dismissed."

The druid scurried out of the room, but not before bowing.

"Merlin," Arthur said. "Round up the Knights of the Round Table. And Gaius." Merlin ran out of the room, his mind swirling with the events of that day.

.:":..:":..:":..:":..:":.

Just as the meeting of the round table started, Merlin hurried into the room, carrying a big pile of books.

"What on earth are these for?" Arthur demanded.

"They're books about Emrys. Gaius said that you requested them." Merlin's voice was muffled by the books leaning against his face, so that they wouldn't fall. Merlin placed the books onto the circular table with a huge crash.

"_Mer_lin!" Arthur sighed, massaging his ringing ears. "Couldn't you have done that a little quieter?"

"Sorry Sire," Merlin grinned in a mocking tone.

The knights, Arthur, Gwen and Gaius were sitting around the table.

"I have called this meeting because a druid came today," Arthur pointedly ignored Elyan's protests about letting a druid into the castle. "He said that Morgana had come to their camp looking for someone called Emrys."

Gaius looked at Merlin.

"Who's Emrys?" Percival said.

Arthur said, "Well, he's a powerful sorcerer, and-"

"Warlock," Merlin said. Then he winced, as everyone turned to stare. "Well, the druid said he was a warlock!"

"There's a difference?"

"Well, a warlock has had magic from birth, and a sorcerer practises it. Warlocks have no choice," Gaius said.

"It doesn't matter!" Arthur said, annoyed. "The matter is, we know where Morgana is!"

"What?" Leon said. "Where?"

"She currently lives in Ealdor," Merlin said heavily. "Where my mother lives."

"Oh, Merlin, I'm so sorry!" Gwaine said, sober for once.

"Anyway," Arthur looked at Merlin sympathetically. "We are going to go there tomorrow. We will have to defeat Morgana.

"But we need to find Emrys first. The druid said that Emrys is the only one who can defeat Morgana. And I was hoping that Merlin go to look for him."

Merlin had an agonised look on his face. "But-but..."

"I know you want to go to Ealdor, but we really do need Emrys!" Arthur said. "And I need all fighters on my side to keep Morgana at bay until you find Emrys! I would only send you if I knew you were capable!"

"But... You don't understand," Merlin protested weakly.

Arthur clapped Merlin on the shoulder. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm sending Gwaine with you."

"But..." Merlin sighed. _That just made everything worse._

Meanwhile, Gwaine was whining like a baby. "But I want to fight Morgana!"

"Look," Arthur said, in a no-nonsense voice. "Gwaine and Merlin are going to search for Emrys. The rest of us are going to find Morgana. Gaius can help find Emrys' whereabouts." Arthur sighed. "And that's final."

Merlin sighed dejectedly. Gaius gave him a pitying look.

"Meeting adjourned," Arthur said professionally, and they all walked away, Merlin following Gaius to his chambers.

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"I am screwed," Merlin groaned, and collapsed into a small wooden chair.

Gaius patted him on the back, and said, "Well, pretend you're going to look for Emrys, then show up in a disguise!"

"What about Gwaine?" Merlin sighed.

"Ah... I'm afraid I don't know," Gaius said unhelpfully.

"I could tell Gwaine!" Merlin said. "But... What if he hates me for it? He might make Arthur execute me!"

"I'm afraid you'll have to take that risk, if you want to defeat Morgana,' Gaius said.

"Hmm... I suppose so," Merlin sighed.

They ate a hurried dinner, and Merlin collapsed into his bed.

.:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":.

"Rise and shine, sleepy head!" Merlin drew back the curtains with all his might, and pulled the covers off of a sleeping Royal Prat.

"Merlin, since when are you _ever_ on time?" Arthur complained drowsily.

"Since I found out that Morgana's in Ealdor!" Merlin said. "And Gwaine's waiting for me."

Arthur climbed out of his comfy bed, and changed into the clothes that Merlin held out for him. "You need to find Emrys quickly," Arthur said. "We may not be able to hold off Morgana forever!"

Merlin nodded quickly, thinking about what he would have to tell Gwaine.

They hurried down to the stables, where the knights, and Gaius were. "Let's go, men!" Arthur said, and the small party of knights galloped off into the woods, in the direction of Ealdor.

"So, I was thinking that we should go the lake of Avalon, because that's where Arthur said his lover was," Gwaine said. Merlin blushed deeply, as Gaius gave Merlin a knowing look. Gwaine, however, didn't catch this exchange.

Gwaine and Merlin rode to the lake if Avalon, and Merlin climbed off his horse. "Um..." Merlin started. "What would say if I told you I know where Emrys is?"

"Why? Where is he?"

"Um, he's here."

"Where?" Gwaine said. "I don't see him!"

"What if I said he was standing in front of you?"

"But you're in front... Oh."

"You don't mind?"

"Of course I don't mind! I knew you had magic-"

"You _knew?"_ Merlin interrupted.

"-but _you're_ the most powerful warlock?" Gwaine carried on as if Merlin hadn't interrupted.

"Yes."

"And _you're_ Morgana's doom?"

"Yes."

"_You're_ the leader of the druids?"

"Yes."

"_You_ defeated Nimueh and Cornelius Sigan?"

"Yes."

"_You're _the last dragonlord?"

"Yes."

"_You're_ magic reincarnated?"

"Er, yes."

"_You're_ the lover of the lady of the lake?"

"You don't have to look so surprised."

"It's just... Arthur has had the most powerful person in the world muck out the stables!" Gwaine suddenly laughed. "And you've got a _girlfriend!"_

Merlin rolled his eyes, but blushed all the same.

"Well, we need to go to Ealdor!" Gwaine said. "Come on!"

"Wait!" Merlin said. "I'll need a disguise."

"Whatever for?" Gwaine frowned.

"I think Arthur will care that I'm a magic-user and I have been practising magic under his nose!" Merlin said slightly hysterically. "And I don't think Morgana will take kindly to me being Emrys."

"Fine!" Gwaine sighed.

Merlin pulled out a dark grey cloak and covered himself with it. His eyes flashed gold*, and when Gwaine looked into the hood of the cloak, all he could see was darkness. "Ooh, spooky!" he said.

Merlin snorted, and they mounted their horses, riding to Ealdor.

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ARTHUR POV

"Sire, I think we're in Ealdor," Elyan said. There were a few houses in the green field, and some children were shrieking happily. Other than that, it was completely silent.

A woman walking glimpsed Arthur, and immediately knelt. "King Arthur!" she said. "What are you doing in our humble village, your highness?"

"We are looking for a woman called Morgana," Arthur said. "Do you know where she might be?"

"Yes!" the woman said, relieved. "She terrorised the village sire!" She lowered her voice. "They say she has magic! She lives in the run down shack, near the big barn."

Arthur tossed her a small bag of gold, and said, "Thank you for your assistance, my lady."

Then he and his knights hurried to the shack in which Morgana lived.

.:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":.

MERLIN POV

"What should I say when they find you missing?" Gwaine asked, as they were riding along.

"Say that..." Merlin struggled to find an answer. "Say I fell ill and had to go back to Camelot."

"OK," Gwaine said uncertainly. "Anyway, about all this 'Last Dragonlord' stuff: I thought there weren't any left?"

"What if I said that the Great Dragon survived, and I just sent it away?"

"Merlin, that is - is awesome!"

"_And_, there's another dragon that I hatched from Julius Borden's egg?"

Gwaine was speechless. But not for long, because he asked if they had names. "Well, the great dragon's called Kilgharrah, and the one I hatched is called Aithusa."

"Wow!" Gwaine said in awe. "So, about your girlfriend." Merlin's cheeks coloured. "Is she pretty?"

"Yes, very. Did I mention she's dead?"

"What?" Gwaine demanded.

"She was the bastet that used to terrorise Camelot. She turned into one every night."

"But... Didn't Arthur kill the bastet?"

"Your point is?"

"Arthur killed your girlfriend?" Gwaine whispered. "I'm so sorry!"

Merlin blinked back tears, and said, "We're in Ealdor now."

.:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":..:":.

ARTHUR POV

"Morgana!" Arthur said menacingly. "We know you're in there!"

"Ah, Arthur!" Morgana opened the door to the small shack. "I hope you're well, brother."

"We heard you've been terrorising the druids." Arthur spoke abruptly, trying not to show his feelings. "They said you were looking for Emrys."

"Oh, did they now?" Morgana frowned.

"We've found him." Arthur sincerely hoped that that was true. He silently urged Merlin and Gwaine to get a move on.

"Tell me who he is!" Morgana screamed.

"I-I can't tell you that."

"Aargh! _Ástríce!_" Morgana screeched, and Arthur and his company of knights flew back, and fell unconscious.

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MERLIN POV

As Gwaine and Merlin rode into Ealdor, Merlin heard the unmistakeable voice of Morgana yelling a stunning spell. They rode to the direction of the voice, and stopped in front of a rotting shack. Merlin opened the door (well, more like kicked) and strode in. Morgana looked at Merlin cockily. "And who are you?"

"Emrys."

That one word sent Morgana into shock. "It - it can't be!" she murmured. "You're lying!"

"Oh, but I'm not Morgana," Merlin said softly, but his voice sounded deadly. "I am your destiny and your doom."

"Rubbish!" Morgana snarled. "_Ástríce_!" Morgana's eyes burned a molten gold.

Merlin lazily flicked a hand. "Too easy."

"No!" Morgana yelled desperately. "I'm a priestess of the Old Religion! No one is more powerful than me!" She sent a bolt of lightning at Merlin. Merlin simply deflected it, and it bounced back to Morgana, who erected a shield in the nick of time.

"No, Morgana!" Merlin said. "I defeated Nimueh with lightning! And she was ten times more powerful!"

"No!" Morgana yelled. "Aithusa! Come to me!"

The white dragon came from within the depths of the hut. He breathed fire, but Merlin deflected it again, and spoke to it in dragon language. "_Aithusa! Come! You will not attack anyone!_" Merlin said in the raspy, deep dragon tongue. Aithusa fluttered uncertainly towards Merlin, and hid behind him.

"Dragonlord," Morgana hissed under her breath. "Emrys! I will defeat you!"

She sent spell after spell at Merlin, but Merlin simply deflected them, or disintegrated them. "Emrys! You coward! Fight back!"

"Do you want me to fight back?" Merlin whispered menacingly. "Then I shall." Merlin screamed, a powerful, unearthly scream that made Gwaine hold his hands over his ears. Morgana couldn't bear it. She dissapitated into dust, leaving a mound of black ashes on the ground.

"Are-are you Emrys?" Arthur choked on the smoke swirling round the room.

"Er, yes." Merlin was glad that his cloak covered his face.

"Thank you, so much!" Arthur said gratefully. "I'll be forever in your debt!"

Arthur looked over to where Gwaine was sitting. Gwaine looked dazed.

"Gwaine - are you alright?" Arthur asked.

"Oh, yes! I'm fine!" Gwaine looked as though he had had ten gallons of mead.

"Hey," Arthur said concernedly. "Where's Merlin?"

"Oh, he - he went back to Camelot because he felt ill." The lie slipped easily off Gwaine's tongue.

"Oh, OK," Arthur said. Suddenly, the other knights started to wake up.

"Oh, my head!" a knight muttered.

"Hey!" Elyan said. "Where's Morgana? And who's this?"

"I'm Emrys. And Morgana's dead," Merlin said bluntly.

"Where's Merlin?" Leon said suspiciously.

Gwaine sighed. "He went back to Camelot because he felt ill."

"Who are you, really?" Arthur said. "If you don't mind, that is," he amended hurriedly.

Merlin let an amused smile grace his lips. They wouldn't see him anyway. "I'm afraid I can't tell you."

"Um, Arthur," Gwaine said matter-of-factly. "He has magic. You execute magic users. You can execute him."

Merlin thanked Gwaine silently, until most of the villagers walked up to the door. "What's going on in here?"

Arthur walked into the doorway. The villagers bowed respectfully, but Arthur said, "You don't have to do that. The witch Morgana was living here. This man killed her. With magic."

Arthur dragged an unwilling Merlin to the door. Merlin's heart throbbed painfully at seeing the people he had known forever look at him as if he were a stranger, with magic. They all thanked him profusely, and Merlin blushed for the millionth time that day.

"Why are you in that cloak?" A boy's innocent voice was heard near Merlin's feet. "It's really hot out here!" And he tugged the cloak off, before Merlin could yell, "NO!"

And they all found themselves staring into Merlin's scared face.

...

...

...

...

"MERLIN?"

"Not Merlin!"

"I always knew there was something wrong with that boy!"

The crowd's shouts were too much for Merlin to bear. He pushed his way out, looking back once. He saw Arthur's face, his feelings written on it like a book. Merlin saw anger, betrayal, and sadness. And that was the last thing Merlin saw before running into the woods.

ARTHUR POV

Arthur felt betrayed.

Emrys was Merlin.

Merlin was Emrys.

Merlin lied to him.

Merlin _lied_ to _him_!

The other knights were in similar states of shock. But not Gwaine, it seemed.

"Did you know?" Arthur demanded angrily.

"Er, he told me, just before we came here." Gwaine sounded terrified, not at all like him.

Arthur sighed, and rubbed his temples. "How could he not tell me?"

"Well, to be fair, you hated magic, and would probably execute him on the spot," Gwaine said.

"Well..." Arthur didn't have an answer to that. "Hang on! Emrys was supposed to get the Once and Future King on the throne! He might have been trying to kill me!"

"No, you idiot!" Gwaine sighed. "_You're_ the Once and Future King! And no one even told me that, and I still knew!"

"Hang on..." Arthur frowned. "Merlin has a girlfriend?"

"My words exactly, Princess. So, you're not going to execute him?"

"Of course not!" Arthur exclaimed. "He's my friend! But don't tell him that."

Gwaine had an annoying gleam in his eye after that.

"So, are we going to get him, or what?" Gwaine said finally.

The rest of the knights, who had been listening, had come to an agreement. "We trust him, Arthur," Leon said.

"Good," Arthur said grimly. "Because we're going to get him, no matter what."

MERLIN POV

Merlin had raced to the lake of Avalon, where he was talking to Freya. "I don't know if they trust me or not!" he was wailing. "I left as soon as they saw me. I'm a coward."

"Don't be silly, you're not a coward," Freya said gently. "And I bet they will be fine about all of this." She grasped Merlin's hand, and they stayed like that for several minutes. "My time here is limited; I have to go soon."

"Why can't we stay like this forever?" Merlin sighed.

"Goodbye, Merlin," Freya said and they kissed sweetly.

Then she disappeared into the water, Merlin looking wistfully at the lake.

Half an hour had passed, and then Merlin heard the unmistakeable sound of twigs breaking underfoot. He spun round to the sight of a slightly dishevelled Gwaine walking out of the trees with Arthur and the rest of the round table.

"I knew it!" Gwaine crowed triumphantly, and pointed at a shocked Merlin.

"What are you doing here?" asked Merlin.

Arthur started, "We've come to say that we don't care that you're a sorcerer-"

"Warlock."

"-and I'm not going to execute you."

Gwaine added, "He said that he is your friend."

"Gwaine!" Arthur said.

"He did?" Merlin said, astonished. "You're not going to execute me?"

"Of course not!" Arthur said disbelievingly. "You defeated Morgana!"

"And you're his friend."

"Gwaine, I swear, if one more word comes out of that mouth..."

Merlin had a look of utter disbelief on his face. Then he followed the company back to Camelot.

"Hey!" Gwaine said. "We never saw your girlfriend!"

"SHUT UP!" Merlin growled.

But the knights and Arthur grinned evilly. "Merlin has a girlfriend, Merlin has a girlfriend..."

"At least I have one!" Merlin retorted, then clapped a hand over his mouth.

"You admitted it!" Gwaine smirked.

Gwaine had a sore head for three days after that.

A week later, the ban on magic was lifted, and Merlin became court sorcerer. Who knew?

**A/N: Bit of rubbishy banter at the end.**

***He didn't use a spell because he's an all-powerful warlock and stuff.**

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